MIPDOC Announces Winners for International Trailblazer Awards

PARIS: MIPDOC has selected five producers to receive the International Trailblazer Awards at this year’s conference, and has also added two new categories: the Green Trailblazer and the Webdoc Trailblazer.

The five producers have been selected for their creativity, innovation and personal vision in the world of documentary-making. The recipients of this year’s awards include Lixin Fan, the director of Eyesteelfilm, as Asian Trailblazer; Asaad Taha, director and producer of Hot Spot Films, as Middle East Trailblazer; and Djo Tunda Wa Munga, director and producer at Suka!, as African Trailblazer. The award recipients in the new categories are Lizzie Gillett, producer at Spanner Films, as Green Trailblazer, and Serge Gordey, producer at Alegria, as Webdoc Trailblazer.

Laurine Garaude, the director of Reed MIDEM’s television division, commented, “The International Trailblazers take a unique and challenging approach to documentary making. International conflicts, migration and environment issues are at the heart of the selected projects. We want to welcome these five producers to MIPDOC and to help them in developing their international exposure.”  

The International Trailblazer Tribute 2010, now in its fifth year, is supported by Al Jazeera Documentary Network, National Film Board of Canada (NFB/ONF) and KOCCA (Korea Creative Content Agency).